Happiest Pinoy 2019 Winner

Public School Teacher named Cebuana Lhuillier’s Happiest Pinoy 2019

Zaldy Bueno, a 37-year old teacher from Gumaca, Quezon was hailed as the 4th Happiest
Pinoy, winning Cebuana Lhuillier’s Search for the Happiest Pinoy which honors and
celebrates the Filipinos’ innate “optimism, resilience, and hope amidst different
life crises.”

Zaldy bested nine other finalists from different categories, winning one million
cash and a trophy.

The board of judges composed of Usec. Zenaida Maglaya, Gang Badoy Capati, James
Deakin, RJ Ledesma, Love Anover-Lianko, Jonathan Yabut, Winston Maxino, Rommel Arellano,
and Richardson Navor chose Bueno unanimously by virtue of his advocacy to see more
children’s lives change through education. Zaldy volunteered as an ALS teacher and
taught on weekends, he even had his mother as his student at one point and helped
her finish her secondary education. Zaldy also co-founded project PADYAK in 2017,
PADYAK stands for Pidal Apakan Dunong Yayaman, Asenso’y Kakamtan, which aims to
provide bicycle units for students who could not afford to travel to school.

The project turned out huge with so many people donating new and used bicycle units
from all over the Philippines even getting donations from OFWs abroad. This project
drastically increased attendance for students at school for which their school received
a perfect attendance award.

“I am very happy with the results of this year’s search -- with over 800,000 entries
received through our branches, online, SMS, and walk-in entries. It’s been amazing
to read the entries of the 10 finalists and Zaldy proves to be a worthy winner as
his tale will definitely inspire countless people to push on despite life’s difficulties,
Zaldy exemplifies the commendable Filipino spirit of rising up from your current
predicament and using that as fuel to make a difference in the lives of others.”
said Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO, Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Currently, Bueno serves as the head teacher of the English department at the Gumaca
National High School. As a kid, their family would often encounter financial difficulties,
Zaldy would help his mom wash clothes for their neighbours and would get his daily
allowance from selling vegetables he planted to augment the family income. Zaldy
vowed to work hard and study hard in order to improve their life.

A turning point in Zaldy’s life was when typhoon Rosing hit in 1995 which completely
obliterated their house, and forced to stay at the barangay health center. During
clinic days, Zaldy and his family had to move their things on the street to accommodate
the influx of patients.

After graduating secondary school, Zaldy tried to get a college education but had
to stop schooling due to financial constraints. In order to get back to school,
he had to work two jobs, including stints at a tile store and as an advertiser scout
for a local radio station. He finished college after 6 years.

Bueno is the fourth winner of the biennial search following Richardson Navor (2015),
Rommel Arellano (2012), and Winston Maxino (2009).

When asked what Bueno will do with the prize money, he shared that he will use it
to further improve Project PADYAK by acquiring more bike units which more youths
can use to get to school. He also shared that he will use a part of it to bring
his parents to Singapore for a well-deserved vacation.

Breaking its own record, the Cebuana Lhuillier search received over 800,000 nominations
this year, the most entries it received in its ten-year history.